Is there an epidemic of depression sweeping the
world, or are we radically altering our interpretation
of normal human experiences? Do we need a dose of
medication or a renewed sense of meaning?
In
this second edition of Beyond Depression, Christopher
Dowrick - an academic general practitioner - takes a
critical insider's look at commonly held views about the
diagnosis and management of depression. He argues that
our belief in depression as a medical condition is based
on commercial, professional, organisational and cultural
factors which combine to sustain the popularity of
depression as a concept, which is based more on our
values than on science.
Based on the best
contemporary evidence available, this second edition
includes new research findings on the management of mild
and recurrent depression, the possibility of a genetic
basis to depression, and extended arguments on the
limitations of screening, and the placebo effects of
antidepressant medication.
The author considers
alternative ways of understanding the thoughts and
feelings that we currently describe as depression,
drawing on cross-cultural, religious, political and
literary sources. He proposes a conceptual framework
that provides a means of moving beyond depression as a
medical concept and as a personal problem. When applied
to encounters between doctors and patients in primary
care it leads us towards enabling narratives, with an
emphasis on listening and understanding rather than
diagnosis and prescription.
Beyond Depression
combines a comprehensive analysis of current scientific
evidence with an impressive review of linguistic,
literary and philosophical perspectives. Moving
seamlessly between controlled trials and Camus, from
prescribing to Proust, the book is informed throughout
by a series of sensitive case studies drawn from the
author's personal experience.
|
|